Several weeks ago, I wrote about how Virgin Atlantic has plans to open a new Clubhouse in the United States. At the time, this was based on documents filed with the airport. Well, the SkyTeam airline has now formally announced these plans, so we have more details.
In this post:
Basics of the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX TBIT
There are plans for a Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse to open at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The 4,401 square foot lounge will be located in Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT), on level six. Specifically, Virgin Atlantic will take over the space of the former Etihad Lounge, which closed during the pandemic, when Etihad discontinued flights to the airport.
We first found out about this thanks to a Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Board of Airport Commissioners meeting, which approved these plans. For those curious about the economics, Virgin Atlantic will have to spend around $2 million to refurbish the existing lounge space, at which point the lease will commence. The airline will pay around $1.2 million per year in rent, with an initial five year contract that can be extended by another five years.
Virgin Atlantic states that the new Clubhouse will be opening in Q1 2025, though we don’t have any more exact timeline details beyond that.
The lounge will feature signature Virgin Atlantic touches, including an expansive bar and social area with table service for dining. There will also be a VIP Booth dubbed “The Royal Box,” and flexible seating areas in which to work, dine, or connect.
The lounge will also feature Los Angeles specific artwork, as well as mood lighting, to give guests a taste of the California sunset as they wind down. Other amenities will include showers and changing facilities.
When it comes to accessing the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX, the lounge will be open to the following passengers:
- Passengers traveling in Upper Class on Virgin Atlantic, with the ability to bring a guest
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold members traveling internationally with Virgin Atlantic or Delta, with the ability to bring a guest
- Delta One passengers on a Delta international flight
- SkyTeam Elite Plus members traveling on Virgin Atlantic or Delta, with the ability to bring a guest
This will be the fourth Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse location in the United States, complementing locations in New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), and Washington (IAD). Interestingly, there was actually a Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in Los Angeles back in the day, in Terminal 2. It opened in 2015, and closed in 2021, with plans to become part of an expansion of the adjacent Delta Sky Club.
Virgin Atlantic currently sends its premium passengers at LAX to the Star Alliance Lounge. A Delta One Lounge is also expected to open at the airport in late 2024, though that will be in Terminal 3 (which is a different terminal, but it’s connected airside).
My take on the new Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX
I’m excited to hear about the new Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX, and have a few thoughts.
For one, additional lounge capacity is always a good thing, given how chronically overcrowded airport lounges are. That’s especially true at LAX TBIT, since so many passengers are eligible for lounge access. This lounge space has been sitting empty for a few years, so I’m happy to see that there are plans for it once again.
Second, while the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX will likely be restricted to eligible premium passengers ahead of Virgin Atlantic departures, I would guess that this lounge will be open to Priority Pass members over other hours, as that’s the case with other Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse locations in the United States. So this should add a much needed Priority Pass option in the terminal.
Lastly, Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses generally have a great soft product, with a la carte dining and great cocktails. However, let me just acknowledge that the actual space the lounge is taking over leaves quite a bit to be desired. It’s not a very big lounge, and it lacks views. So I’m sure some Virgin Atlantic customers will miss having access to the Star Alliance Lounge, which at least has a terrace, is spacious, and has apron views.
Bottom line
A Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is expected to open at LAX, in Tom Bradley International Terminal. Virgin Atlantic will be taking over the space of the former Etihad Lounge, which is roughly 4,400 square feet, and on level six. The new space is expected to open in early 2025, and we now have a sense of what to expect.
I’m happy to see Virgin Atlantic making a lounge comeback at LAX, after the carrier closed its previous lounge a few years ago.
What do you make of plans for the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX?
Is this really going to be a Priority Pass lounge while at simultaneously denying access to Skyteam Elite Plus pax who are not flying VS/DL? Sounds totally absurd.
Bit strange they're spending all this money on a Lounge at LAX when they abandoned their Manchester Lounge which has more flights departing from each day.
No wonder VS hasn't made money since 2016 as they love spending money on unnecessary endeavors like this.
The booze bill at Manchester probably bankrupted VS.
More flight reductions on the way at MAN, ATL down to 5 from 7 and JFK down to 6 from 7 for the S25, expect further “tweaks”!
Why is Virgin Atlantic building a new lounge at LAX? They used to have a lounge but gave that space to Delta if memory serves. Delta is also opening a Delta One lounge at LAX. And Air France has a lounge at LAX too. Seems absurd that Virgin Atlantic, which is not profitable, is building a lounge for the sake of having lounge. No wonder Virgin Atlantic doesn’t make money.
Their whole LAX operation is absurd.
Old lounge was back when VS was still in T2. Now they're flying out of TBIT but confusingly checked in at T2. Upper Class are directed to Star Alliance lounge but Elite+ flying VS are denied access.
The reason they're building it is poor ops planning.
KE lounge is, we all know how it is.
AF lounge is too far.
DL lounge is too full.
But those who flies VS a lot would still use SkyClub, jokes on Tim.
There’s a direct airside connection fromt t2/3 to TBIT. VS pax have access to SkyClub and the new lounge.
My thoughts exactly. I really thought that when DL remodeled T2 and T3, it would become essentially a SkyTeam terminal where anyone flying on a SkyTeam flight could check-in (or at least DL's JV partners AF, AM, KE, KL and VS).
That’s the raison d’etre of the airside connector. Air France maybe partners, however they don’t want VS customers over their own and KLM. Nor do they want Delta ground handling as they did when they were in terminal 5 for a period.
AF actually has its own employees at LAX
My guess: They've done the research and concluded a large barrier to getting paying business class customers is having a premium lounge experience.
Further speculation: The reason they don't use an existing lounge is because Korean Lounge is shit, AF & DL One Lounges won't let Virgin access (or too expensive), and Star Alliance lounge is too expensive + sends the wrong message. Since they were the only bidder on this lounge space +...
My guess: They've done the research and concluded a large barrier to getting paying business class customers is having a premium lounge experience.
Further speculation: The reason they don't use an existing lounge is because Korean Lounge is shit, AF & DL One Lounges won't let Virgin access (or too expensive), and Star Alliance lounge is too expensive + sends the wrong message. Since they were the only bidder on this lounge space + it was empty for a large number of years, they probably got a fantastic deal that would cost them less than continuing to pay the Star Alliance lounge over X number of years.
Delta One lounges should be giving access to VS passengers. The JFK lounge currently does. And it's too confusing for people anyways since they're all JV partners, when a customer books a VS operated flight on Delta's website for them to not get Delta One lounge access.
This is probably more to do w/ crowding issues. The JFK Delta One lounge is already massively crowded. If Delta and SkyTeam want to grow in LAX, they need more space.
I, for one, am happy that someone is taking over the old Etihad lounge... it is has been empty for far too long. VS will do a good job making the space work.
Won't there be a Delta One lounge at LAX, so does it even make sense to have one though? I'm not complaining about it since VS Clubhouses are nice, but I'd expect the Delta One lounge to be better anyhow.
I thought Global Airlines was going to lease it as James was touring it and posting about it a while back. I guess Virgin outbid him.
According to LAWA, "Virgin was the only respondent and requested to lease the 4,401 square feet lounge space".
Global Airlines lol
With Air France opening a lounge in TBIT as well, seems like Air France and Virgin could coordinated this better and shared an investment in one SkyTeam lounge.
That would probably be the last thing on earth that AF/KL would want to do.
The KE lounge already serves as the de facto SkyTeam lounge at LAX, and it's of much lower (soft and hard product) quality.
Why would AF want that traffic suddenly shifting (primarily) to its brand new location, for which it's trying to cater to its F/Premier pax?
It’s not something they can stop if a passenger is flying F/J or is elite plus in skyteam
I don't know about AF/KL, but VS can absolutely turn away skyteam elites. If you're on KL/AF, they will send you to the KL/AF lounge.
@ConcordeBoy
'Why would AF want that traffic suddenly shifting (primarily) to its brand new location,"
$$$$$$$$$ from partner access.
So if AF denied, then your cheapo operating carrier refuse to pay AF $$$$$.
I would suspect that this lounge opening in LAX will be a part of PP. Virgin Atlantic lounges at IAD, JFK and SFO (limited hours for PP) all show as available on my Priority Pass membership.
Is it still the case that, as a Plaza Premium lounge, the other Virgin clubhouses can be accessed by just showing an Amex Plat or Capital One Venture X?
The VS lounges are no longer part of the Plaza Premium group, Sodexo who run the LHR Clubhouse took over a few years back.
Sodexo , AKA prison cafeteria company, that is very appropriate. I have consulted at so many clients whose cafeteria was run by Sodexo (I know that they also do school cafeteria) - all of those could be summed to one scene where lunch lady serves Bart with "Imitation Gruel"
Ha, agree! Sodexo is our hospital supplier too, I call them the stadium food company.
@observer
Most of your so called "prison cafeteria company" also caters SkyClub, Admirals Club, Centurion, Sapphire and every other airline lounges too.
Ouch!
Odd. I actually like being able to use the Star Alliance lounge with its terrace: views, fire pits, comfy couches, and just being outside when spending 10 hours on a plane. Also, not sure how Virgin can afford this right now, unless the rent and refurbishment is cheaper than what star alliance is charging.
I really wish this lounge becomes available to PP. It sucks that LAX doesn't have any proper PP lounge..
And it's off topic, but does anyone know why VS is struggling? Their reviews are great, load factor's decent but they're in tremendous amount of debt and haven't made profit since pandemic.
There seems to be something they're losing money for, but I have no idea... Is it because of their parent company?
I wonder if they're doing a sustainable business.
Don’t forget in transatlantic traffic all costs and revenue are shared with DL/AF/KL as part of JV
You mean it sucks that all the employees had daily full board at PF Chang's back in the day.
This is punishment for abuse at LAX.
VS never returned to pre COVID loads. Leisure routes are gone. And don't tell Tim Dunn this, but somehow for a major ownership, I feel DL also blindsided VS on a lot of things too.
Over selling Austin?
Limited network. Terrible old product. UK malaise. Brand atrophy. Everyone kinda caught up.
-G
Great, a new lounge. Still doesn't make up for that crappy 787 Upper Class.